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Friday, 1 August 2014

Review - Dr Browns Newborn Set*

If you choose to bottle feed or have no choice then picking a bottle to use can be a nightmare. I know because I've had to do it. Some babies are quite fussy and will only take a certain teat, some don't care. Paige and Parker both don't care. It can very much be trial and error depending on what you like and what your baby likes.

I've always been interested in the Dr Browns bottles. Known for their anti colic/wind system they are quite popular and a lot of people rave about them. We are now included in those people. The bottles are BPA free, help preserve vitamins C, A, E and lipids. They also provide a vacuum-free feeding like breastfeeding and help reduce colic, burping and wind.

For all this it costs £45.95. This is everything you will need to feed your baby for the first months. As they get older you may just need to purchase some extra level 2/3 teats so you have some spare. The microwave steriliser is very easy to use. The instructions are really clear and easy to follow. With each cycle you need 180ml of water. This can be measured using the bottles. It can be measured in one go with the bigger bottle or two goes with the smaller bottles. I do find this a little inconvenient as it just takes longer. With a newborn and a toddler I don't have too much free time but saying that I just make sure to sterilise one big bottle with each cycle. The steriliser also only holds 4 bottles at a time. I find this a little strange as it comes with 5 so you can't even sterilise them all in one go. You need to check your microwave wattage to see how long you sterilise them for but it ranges for 5 to 8 minutes. You are also advised to leave the bottles for 10 minutes after sterilisation for them to cool a little. This is very much needed as when you take them out of the microwave they are very, very hot. There are also four little side handles on the steriliser making it easy to get in and out of the microwave even when it is still a little hot.

We've used the bottles for around a month with Parker now and love them. They are easy to use, easy to clean and he seems to really like them. I wouldn't say he was a colicky baby but maybe he would have been if we weren't using these bottles. He rarely struggles with wind even when he gulpes down his milk. I'd say the bottles have defiantly helped with the wind due to their unique ventilation.

The bottles themselves are really easy to hold and feel comfortable in you hand although they do take a while to get used to them. When I first unpacked the bottles I couldn't believe how wide they are but now I don't even realize. The patented internal vent system is straight forward to use. At first it does look a little scary but with only two parts its pretty simple and you soon get used to putting the bottles together. The tongs also help when putting the bottles together after sterilizing as you don't have to touch teats. The bottle brush that comes in the set is great for cleaning them and works well. It has a part on the end specifically for the teats to make sure you really get them clean from milk before placing them in the microwave steriliser. It is also top rack dishwasher safe which is amazing!The only trouble we have had with leaking is when the internal vents aren't placed inside the bottles correctly. If they are placed in properly there is no leaking at all. I have found that when putting on the lid with boiling hot water inside that water will come out if you fasten the lids on very tight. Its best to let the water cool down a little to avoid this problem.I would recommend this set to anyone struggling with which bottles to use for there baby. We do love this set and would use it again if the need was there.I've also had a few different people asking where we got the small bottles from... Like I said in the review two come with the set but you can also buy extra smaller bottles if you feel the need. If you have any questions please do ask me in the comments and I will try my best to get back to you.Thanks for reading,Nicola Xx*Disclaimer - We were sent this set for the purpose of this review but all views and opinions are our own*